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Local Young Women Achieve Girl Scouts’ Highest Honor

Los Angeles/San Bernardino/Kern/Ventura Counties – One Gold Award Girl Scout organized a supply drive for two Afghan schools in Pakistani refugee camps; another shared her love and passion for music with special education students; yet another created a support resource for those suffering from scoliosis, stemming from her personal experience with the condition.

In all, 231 Girl Scouts from numerous communities of greater Los Angeles made an impact locally, nationally, and globally, earning them the prestigious national Girl Scout Gold Award – the highest honor in Girl Scouting. The young women were presented their Gold Award Pins at the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) Annual Gold Award Ceremony on Sunday, June 13.

The award has special significance in Girl Scouting, but also in an awardee’s pursuit of higher education, entry into the workforce, and efforts to make a difference in their community. Nationwide, only 4.5% of all eligible Girl Scouts achieve the Gold Award. This year, GSGLA exceeded the national average with 11% of eligible girls in grades 10-12 receiving the honor.

Earning the Gold Award is a multi-year process in which a girl plans and implements a large-scale project that is much more than a deed of community service. Overall, the 231 young women logged more than 15,000 hours of leadership, advocacy and service. This year’s projects spotlighted critical issues such as the needs of underprivileged children in Africa and here in the poorest areas of greater Los Angeles, emergency preparedness, afterschool programs, assistance for hospitalized children, environmental and animal care awareness, and improvements to our schools and communities, just to name a few.

“These young women each saw needs or issues that required attention, treasures that needed revitalization, and groups that needed a voice,” GSGLA Chief Executive Officer Lise L. Luttgens told the audience. “They were inspired to be leaders of change locally, nationally and internationally.”

The annual event was held at the Pasadena Convention Center, and was attended by more than 1,200 friends, family and community members. Ceremony sponsors included Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Little Brownie Bakers, Xerox, and the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. CBS 2/KCAL 9 anchor Lisa Sigell emceed the event and Alexis Jones, I Am That Girl founder and Survivor Micronesia finalist, delivered the keynote address.

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles serves 45,000 girls in partnership with 22,000 volunteers from more than 350 diverse communities of Los Angeles County and parts of Kern, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles is the largest girl-serving non-profit agency in Los Angeles, and operates seven Service Centers, 14 Program Centers, and four campgrounds spanning 4,000 square miles. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit www.girlscoutsLA.org or call 1-888-GSGLA-4-U.

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